April 1967 Mary Hyre's Letters To John Keel
A Letter from Mary Hyre, April 9, 1967 Reporter Mary Hyre catches up author John Keel on some recent sightings, regrets that there are no details on a cownapping, and apologizes for leaving while watching UFOs. The attached column was Where The Waters Mingle from 4/9/67. The following is the April 9th 1967 letter transcribed into a digital text format with typing errors fixed: Sunday Night Dear John: Well heard today that a truck driver saw the same thing I saw Thursday night along the river, but the man didn't get his name, also heard that a man saw this lighted object Friday night near apple grove, but it had white lights, perhaps that is the same thing you seen Friday night and it didn't have its red lights on. Several women at the luncheon that I attend Saturday said they thought The Register was stupid to print the type of story that they did, and not say who said it. These women are from the very best of families and said "We want you to keep writing any thing that you see or hear about". I had company during the weekend and also worked tonight so I haven't gotten back out to Gallipolis ferry as yet, but will go one evening this week, don't think I will go tonight as it is after 11 p.m. now and I am sorta tired. Sending you a clipping, but they cut part of the story for space they said..same old thing always space problems. Mabel said we must not give up in seeing if this ufo will come to us, maybe the stupid thing might do just that sometime I sure hope so, but I sure do not want to be alone when it happens. Sorry I left the scene of that one on the river, but guess it frightened me and I left with out realizing I should have stayed. I really don't think one would have to wait for a pretty night to go look for one and I am very anxious to see if the red is still to the left of that big field. This man that told me about a truck driver who said he also heard of a man say he knows that one of these ufo's took his cow, but this stupid man who told me didn't ask the man his name. I told him if he saw the man again to get his name and address. People stand around and hear these stories, but never think to find out who told them, guess I expect people to ask the same questions that I would ask if they were telling me. I arrived back to Point Pleasant in plenty of time for the luncheon. I didn't stop anywhere. Mary A Letter from Mary Hyre, April 14, 1967 Mary Hyre’s letters to John Keel provide some of the back story to The Mothman Prophecies. UFO and Mothman sightings were continuing to cross Mary's desk at The Athens Messenger. This letter, from April 14th 1967, catches up John on recent UFO reports, crowds gathering at the TNT area, and a butterfly as "big as a car". The following is the April 14th 1967 letter transcribed into a digital text format with typing errors fixed: Friday Night Dear John: Well the tnt Thursday night looked like the "monster" event so many cars, students from Marshall university and Ohio university as well as other people. I really hear of so many sighting I can not keep up with them ....People call all the time wanting to know what I will have in the paper that day on the ufo. My boss was down Wednesday and said perhaps they should let me write nothing but ufo stories, I told him middleport had the best one of all and the writer there never said a word about it, one man claims it landed in his yard, I understand his little five year-old son came in and said daddy there is a butterfly in the backyard, the father was reading and didn't pay any attention and he said "Oh, but daddy it is big as your car", the father went to look and sure enough there it was... this was told me, I didn't check it out since it isn't in my area and also was told that 150 people saw something on the river just like he seen. I sure hope that one comes down, but do hope that it will be a person who will tell the truth and can describe it. I heard that the Parkersburg had a big story this week on a ufo sighting there when half the town seen it, thought I would write for a copy as I know several people who work on that paper. Woman just called and said a ufo is going over Point Pleasant it is now 8:45 p.m. she said she'd call me back. Mrs. McDaniel said if you want to come back you can stay at their house..they would be very happy to have you, she said she thought Linda and Roger were separating again tonight. Really don't think it will ever work out for the two, but at least she gave it a try. Another call guess I had better go see what it looks like. As ever, Mary P.s. did you ever read or hear anything about an Indian in Pittsburgh who claims he was in outer space or another planet for four years. A woman told me that it was in the Pittsburgh paper something last summer or maybe later than that. He said he didn't want to come back but they brought him back anyway. MH. A Letter from Mary Hyre, April 16, 1967 The next letter from Mary Hyre, just two days later, updates John on the continuing UFO flap. The following is the April 16th 1967 letter transcribed into a digital text format with typing errors fixed: Sunday Night Dear John: Well it has been one beautiful day here today and everyone in Point Pleasant WV and Gallia county Ohio was out ufo hunting last night my phone just about rang off the wall and also today, people are really becoming interested and want to know just what this object is. Fay my sister saw her first one last night and it was at New Haven, she went out in the yard about 10 p.m. to get her dog and there it was, she said there were several and they did play around in the sky and they were all colors. I am really happy she got to see one as she wanted to so badly.. now it is people you just wouldn't believe that are going out looking for them. It seems now that they are as about as active as they were that first Saturday night you and I saw them at Gallipolis ferry. Friday night after I talked with you I went out to Camp Conley and there were about 500 people in the that and the tnt area, this Ron Hite from the Huntington paper was there and some guy was with him from Washington, D.C. I didn't find out for sure who the man was from Washington, they seem to want to be by themselves, but was very hard to do with that many, honestly they were going everywhere Friday night and this couldn't possibly be planes nor anything but ufos. I don't know is this is true but they say the workers at the Philip Sporn plant have saw what they call a mother ship and three little ships... I understand that one man said "Oh hell, there isn't such a thing" but when he saw it he went home and never has came back to work. They have told me different times about plant workers seeing it but they are very careful to tell it because they are afraid of their job as some bossman might not like it especially if he a non-believer, I shall keep you posted and sending along a clipping I had in today's paper. As ever, Mary Sources: http://www.johnkeel.com/?p=2046 http://www.johnkeel.com/?p=2084 http://www.johnkeel.com/?p=2109 Category:History